Barrel nut assembly and method to attach a barrel to a firearm using such assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024183380-A1
Application number	US-202418439313-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 12, 2024
Priority date	Jul 31, 2012
Publication date	Jun 6, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A barrel nut assembly for use on a variety of firearms is provided. The assembly is made up of a barrel nut, generally cylindrical in shape with a threaded central bore, and an externally threaded locknut which is used in conjunction with the barrel nut to secure a barrel to a firearm upper receiver. The barrel nut has an integral bushing on its exterior constructed to support either the gas tube or piston of the host firearm's operating system. The barrel nut is configured so that it may be independently and non-rotationally held within a vice or other fixture during installation of the barrel and while the locknut is tightened to a preset torque to hold the barrel in place. The barrel nut assembly affords the user a method and apparatus that aligns a central bore in the bushing with the opening in the upper receiver that receives an operating system component of the firearm while the barrel nut is independent of the torque applied to the locknut to properly secure the barrel to the upper receiver.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A barrel nut assembly for connecting a firearm barrel to a receiver of a gas operated rifle, said barrel nut assembly comprising:
a barrel nut which defines a generally longitudinally extending bore extending from a back end of said nut along a longitudinal axis to a front end of the nut, said bore having internal threads to be secured at the rear end to an externally threaded front end part of the receiver, the front end of said bore being configured to receive a rear end portion of the firearm barrel, said barrel nut further comprising a through bore separate from and parallel with the longitudinally extending bore; and a locknut having external threads that engage with the internal threads in the barrel nut bore, enabling the locknut to be threadedly received within and connected to the barrel nut, said locknut being configured to compressively engage and secure said firearm barrel in position against said receiver as the locknut is screwed into the barrel nut and tightened to a preset torque value, a rotational orientation of said barrel nut about the barrel being independent of torque applied to the locknut.

2 . The barrel nut assembly of claim 1 , wherein said through bore locates on the top of said barrel nut.

3 . The barrel nut assembly of claim 2 , wherein said through bore defines an inner wall configured to support at least a portion of the gas operating system of a firearm.

4 . The barrel nut assembly of claim 3 , wherein the at least a portion of the gas operating system is the operating rod of the firearm.

5 . The barrel nut assembly of claim 1 , wherein a forward face of said barrel nut has an external structure configured to be captured within a fixture that rotationally restrains said barrel nut.

6 . The barrel nut assembly of claim 5 , wherein the external structure comprises a flange.

7 . The barrel nut assembly of claim 6 , wherein the flange comprises at least two squared off sections.

8 . The barrel nut assembly of claim 1 , wherein a forward face of said locknut includes a grippable structure configured to be engaged with a complementary gripping structure on a tool that is used to apply torque to said locknut.

9 . The barrel nut assembly of claim 1 , wherein a forward face of said locknut is provided with a plurality of spaced grooves configured to engage with correspondingly spaced teeth on a wrench which is used to apply torque to said locknut.

10 . A barrel nut assembly apparatus comprising:
a barrel nut assembly for connecting a barrel that has an annular flange proximate a rear end of said barrel to an upper receiver that has a forward end with an externally threaded extension and an opening for receiving an operating rod of a gas operating system, said barrel nut assembly including: an internally threaded barrel nut configured to be threadingly secured to said externally threaded extension of said upper receiver and a front end of the barrel nut configured to receive a rear end portion of said barrel, said barrel nut having a through bore adjacent to a periphery of said barrel nut that is aligned with said receiver opening to receive said operating rod therethrough and a locknut having external threads that engage with the internal threads on the barrel nut to compressively engage and secure said barrel in position against said receiver, a back side of said barrel annular flange being seated against a forward face of the threaded extensions of said receiver; a wrench with a complementary gripping structure configured to rotate and secure said locknut against the annular flange of the barrel; and a fixture configured to receive said upper receiver and said barrel nut and restrain both from rotational movement while said locknut is being torqued.

11 . The barrel nut assembly apparatus of claim 10 , wherein said through bore locates on the top of said barrel nut.

12 . The barrel nut assembly apparatus of claim 10 , wherein said barrel nut further comprises at least chamfered portion.

13 . The barrel nut assembly apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said at least chamfered portion surrounds an entrance into said through bore.

14 . The barrel nut assembly apparatus of claim 10 , wherein said front end of the barrel nut has an exterior structure configured to be captured within said fixture.

15 . The barrel nut assembly apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said fixture is a flange.

16 . The barrel nut assembly apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said flange makes the forward face of said barrel nut substantially square.

17 . The barrel nut assembly apparatus of claim 10 , wherein a forward face of said locknut includes a grippable structure configured to be engaged with said complementary gripping structure on said wrench.

18 . The barrel nut assembly apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said grippable structure is a plurality of spaced grooves and wherein said complementary gripping structure on said wrench is correspondingly spaced teeth.

19 . A method of securing a barrel having an annular flange proximate to a rear end of said barrel to an upper receiver having a forward end with an externally threaded extension and an opening comprising:
threading said externally threaded extension of said upper receiver into an internally threaded bore of a barrel nut until said barrel nut stops, wherein said barrel nut further comprises a through bore adjacent to a periphery of said barrel nut that is aligned with said receiver opening, threading reversely said barrel nut until the said through bore is aligned with said receiver opening, placing the resultant subassembly of said upper receiver and said barrel nut within a fixture, inserting the rear end of said barrel into said barrel nut until said annular flange of said barrel is aligned with and comes to rest against the forward face of said threaded extension of said upper receiver, sliding a locknut into and down said barrel, and threading said lockout within said internally threaded bore of said barrel nut.

20 . The method of claim 19 further comprises securing said fixture within a vice to prevent any rotational movement of said barrel nut and said upper receiver.

21 . The method of claim 19 further comprises using a wrench to secure said locknut with an appropriate torque value.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein said wrench has a crescent shaped head with a plurality of teeth projecting from an inner periphery configured to engage with grooves formed on the forward face of said locknut.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein said wrench is used to rotate and secure said locknut against the annular flange of said barrel.

Assignees

• Lwrc Int Llc

Inventors

• Gomez Jesus S

Classifications

• F16B37/00 Primary

  Nuts or like thread-engaging members {(specially shaped for rotations by a tool F16B23/00)} · CPC title

• F41A21/48 Primary

  Barrel mounting means, e.g. releasable mountings for replaceable barrels · CPC title

• Y10T29/49963

  Threaded fastener · CPC title